Ductile tubing connector



,Jan. 27, 1942. R E SNYDER 2,271,502

" DUCTILE TUBING CONNECTOR Filed May S, 1940 FGI 2 20 3 24 26 20 23 Z5 24.2.6

.mfr Y f?? W/// 4566/ 62' '5/ 46 fr/6.a sa Flag 64 65 9 L ['67 8 65 72 nar F/Q/O 7 INVENTOR ROBERT E. SA/VDE ATTORNEY PatentedJan. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DUCTILE TUBING CONNECTOR Robert E. Snyder, Pasadena, "Calin, assignor to Snyder Research, Inc., incorporationv of Califoi-nia Application May s, 1940, serial Non. 333,935

(c1. zas-as) 8 Claims.

This invention' 'relates to pipe joints or couplings, and more particularly to couplings of the type used to interconnect flexible or yielding pipe through the expedient of a thimble or ferrule'` freely revoluble upon one of the tubes to be interconnected and adapted to-be engaged upon the other by means of screw threads formed onv the thimble and thus join the two tubes in a leak-proof connection having lsuflicient strength meet commercial requirements.

It is readily apparent that when couplings of the type indicated are used to interconnect sections of tubing, the cross-sectional area Aof, the

couplings will be relatively great compared with that of the tubing they serve tointerconnect. Furthermore, the connectors being of greater diameter than the tubing on which they are mounted, they are materially stiffer than the tubing. As a result, whenever such aline of tubing is subjected to continuedr vibration or ilexure, or both, very characteristic points of failure develop in the tubing. In general, these failures occur very close to the juncture of the tubing and the coupling; the exact point of failure depending upon the type of connector used, the type and physical uniformity of the tubing, the vibrational frequency and amplitude, the damping means used, the unsupported lergth, of tube, and otherl deformation or the restoring force per unit displacement will vary from member to member.

. The general rule seems to hold that under vibrationaly or cyclical stresses, stress concentrations will be produced in the train at all junctures of 'members of differing stiffnesses.

In a tubesubjected to repeated flexure, either cy-clical or otherwise, each unit particle of the material of which'the tube is composed, is subjected alternately to tension and compression stresses, this action being most pronounced near I the outer surface of the tube. The' particles are,-

therefore, alternately pulled apart and pressed toward each other, and, as such action continues,

they become displaced with reference to'each other within the structure of the material, and

gradually produce a surface wavyness on the tube. These waves usually appear on circumferential arcs about' the tube, and continued `flexure tends to deepen vthe wave troughs until fissures occur at the bottom of the troughs, which fissures gradually increase in length and width, ultimately uniting with other fissures, and a circumferential plane of weakness begins to develop. The resultant decrease in stiffnessof the tubing along this plane causesa corresponding increase in the stress concentration in the weak portion and furtherhastens the action. When the 'fissure finally works clear through the tube, the process of progressive failure is complete. Any local corrosion may itself be the cause of a ssure or may aid in deepening a fissure as the oxide products created in the fissure act as a wedge to deepen it still further under continued iiexure.

As an example, when a brass coupling is attached toa ductile copper tube in accordance with conventional practice, a construction is pre- `vsented wherein alength of tubing consists of por'- tions immediately adjacent each other'and of different cross sectional area and hence possessing different degrees of stiffness, the portion having larly employed as oil lines, fuel lines, and com-v the lesser cross sectional area usually being' the more flexible of the two. It is well known, how'.

ever, that whenever a member of such a character is subjected to repeated flexure, a concentration of stress will be imposed4 upon the portion of lesser stiffness, immediately adjacentthe point of its last support by the'stiffer of the two portions. This accounts for the well recognized fact that the point of most probable 'failure of a com ventional ductile copper tube, such as those regupressed air conductors in many different types of mechanical installations, is in the tubing portion of such a line. immediately adjacent any of the coupling thimbles.

An'object of the present invention, therefore,

is the provision of a novel type of coupling means for ductile tubing in which means are provided for avoiding concentration of stress in the more flexible of the two members which otherwise would be present when such a conductoris subjected to repeat exure. E

Y A more detailed object in this connection is to avoid the concentration of stress referred to by providing means for distributingstress which inevitably occurs when exure of the tubing occurs.

`Inasmuch as it is out of the question to prevent the development 'of such stress, my present invention seeks to make'the stress innocuous in so far as damage to the tubing is concerned, and

this can best be accomplished by effecting the distribution of the stress over a material length of the tubing, and thus avoid the concentration of stress at a single point which heretofore has been the direct cause of failure in ductile copper tubing subjected to repeated exure.

A further object of the present 'invention is to assure the distribution of stress referred to by means of a yielding resilient support for the more flexible of the two portions of the conductor, preferably carried by the stier of the two and extending therefrom in continuous contact with the more flexible member in such a manner as to attain the results desired. Other manners of approaching the problem and providing the distribution of stress by means of different types of support for the less stiff member, form the subject matter of my co-pending application, Serial No. 326,699, filed March 29, 1940.

Another object of my invention is to provide means resiliently supporting the more flexible of the two portions of the conductor, which means' are carried by vthe stiffer member and engage the more flexible member in a sliding engagement, thereby enhancing the degree of flexibility stallation and/or servicing of the coupling member.

A further object is the provision of means for avoiding concentration of stress in a. ductile metal tubing adjacent the couplings used in connection with that tubing, which does not detract materially from the flexibility of the tubv ing considered as awhole.

Yet another object of my invention is the provision of means for distributing stress over a material length of tubing adjacent the coupling used in connection with that tubing, which disby engagement with Athe outer faces of the fingers of a portion of the nut or ferrule member of the coupling when the nut is tightened. This is in contrast to the manner of operation of the sleeve member of my said copending application Serial No. 326,699, which is not deformed when the nut is tightened but the resilient ngers of which are caused to press against the tube because of the coniiguration imparted thereto at the time of the sleeves manufacture.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, medial sectional View of a coupling member embodying the principles of the present invention in operative relation to a tube connected thereto.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the stress distributing sleeve of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal medial sectional view of the sleeve of the Figures 1 and 2 taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to -Figure 1 showing a modified form of sleeve.

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of thesleeve in Figure 4-.

Figure- 6 is a longitudinal, medial sectional View of the sleeve of the Figures 4 and 5 taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 5.

tributing means is constructed entirely of reproof and heat-resistant material, preferably of the same material as that of which the coupling member is constructed, and adapted to lend itself economically to large-scale production upon a quantity basis by automatic machinery.

A more specific object of the present invention is the provision of means forV avoiding concentration of stress in ductile metal tubing adjacent the coupling or couplings used in connection with that tubing which means ,takes the form of a sleeve anchored rigidly at or ad? jacent one end to the body of the coupling and having reciliently flexible fingers extending therefrom along the tubing in supporting contact therewith, these lingers in addition to being flexible and resilient being of graduallydiminishing cross sectional area as the distance from the body of the coupling increases, with the result that the support that they oier the tubing gradually diminishes to a negligible value adjacent their outer ends.

A still further object to the present invention is the provision of an improved and simplified sleeve wherein the fingers are caused to press against the tubing by being deflected inwards and taper 24 five degrees.

Figure 'I is another view similar to Figure l of a further modified form of sleeve.

Figure 8 is a view inside elevation of the sleeve of Figure 7. l i

Figure 9 is. a longitudinal, medial sectional their stress-distributing function..

Referring to the accompanying drawing,V wherein similar reference characters designate ared type, Figures'1-3inclusive and 10; the

compression type, Figures 4-6 inclusive; and the soldered or union type,"Figures 7-9 inclusive. These three types are most common to the industry but the invention may be adapted tapers. The first taper 23 is relatively short and steep, whereas the second taper 24 from the end of the `taper 23 to the outer end 22 of the sleeve is relatively long and gradual. As an example, the taper 23 may be substantially 25 degrees, The taper 23 serves as a. shoulder against which a nut can be seated as will be more fully described hereinbelow. i

The sleeve l 9 is formed with a plurality of slots 25 which extend longitudinally of the sleeve from its outer end 22 toward and for a material distance into the body portion 20 thereby presenting a plurality of tapered fingers 26. These fingers being possessed of a certain inherent ilexibility, they can be flexed inwards to establish l the tubing.-

axial bore 21 extending completely therethroughat constant diameterexcept at its extreme inner supporting contact wtih tubing disposed therebetween, whereas the body portion, being solid (i. e., not slotted), is relatively rigid and therelore alords unyielding support for the inner ends ol the fingers 26. Moreover, in addition to being ilexiblethe material of which the sleeve I9 is composed also possesses a certain degree 'of inherent resilience or stiffness so as to enable the lingers 26 to offer the desired elastic support to The sleevev I9 -is formed4 with an end where it enlarges to provide a tapered seat 28. `Whereas the. fact that the lingers 26 are intended to be mounted only so slightly as to establish a close'sliding llt thereupon.

Figure`1 shows the inanner of assembly of the sleeve `I 9 in a conventional coupling 39 for a ared tube. This coupling comprises a base part 1 3I, a nut 32 and the sleeve I9, and is mounted in operative relation'upon a tube v34.. The base part 3 .I is illustrated as having a threaded por- 'tion 35' and a special ltapered seat 36- against which the ared portion 31 of the attached .tube v34 mayV be seated. The nut 32 comprises an in ternally threaded portion 38 engageable with the externally threaded portion 35 of the base part 3l, avwrench-receiving external portion 4I;` and an'internallytapered seat42 engageable with the sleeve shoulder taper 23. The outer end 44 of fthe nut 32 has a bore 43 which just' clears the tapered portion 24v of the sleeve I9 and allows the nut to contact the sleeve only on thetaper 23.

The largest inside diameter of the nut 32 .between the inward end of threaded portion 38 and between the nut 32 and the sleeve I9 occurs at the'faces 42 and 23.

The flared portion 31 of the tube 34 is held against the seat 36 on the base part 3Iv by the face 28 on the sleeve I9. Tightening the nut 32 upon the basepart 3| does several things simul-4 taneously. Primarily itholds the sleeve against the tube are and seals the tubeto the base part.. thereby making thelnternal passage in the lluid conductor continuous and sealed. Further tightening the nut causes .the tapered face 42 ofthe nut to slip longitudinally against the face 23 upon the sleeve and thereby squeeze the lingers 26 into close circumferential engagementfwithl the enclosedv tube 34. This causes the grip of the lingers against the tube to be very positive;

and such gripping occurs at a material distance outward from the place of sealing contact '36--31 f ofthe tube flare and the base part. The tube-is thus held rigid within the coupling between the base part 3lA and the'grip of the ngers' at 45 against any motion whatsoever.. -Thus the tubing between these -two points will not be sub'- jected toany severe concentration ol' stress due to vibration regardless of 'what happens-to the tube outside the coupling. The lingers 26 ol the sleeve -I9 extend through the nut v32 outwardly along the'tube 34 and are veryv gradually tapered. Each of these lingers decreases in thick'-r ness at a uniform rate to its outer end or tip which is materially thinner than-the wall of the enclosed tube. Thusthe stiness of the tube and sleeve which at the inner end of the taper 24 is substantially thatol the coupling, decreases unilormly outward from this point and gradually approaches that of the tubing alone at the feather edge tips 22 ol the sleeve. By making the tapered lingers sufficiently long," it is assured that this graduation in stillness will not -be-too sudden to achieve the desired result. In general, the length ol the lingers should be atleast one and onehall times the diameter of the enclosed tube. The maximum allowable length is subject to the physical characteristics ol. the material composing the' tube. In some types ol brass sleeves cooperating with a lcopper tube the preferred length of the outer taper 24 seems to lie between 1 1/2 and '2 times the diameter ol the enclosed tube. However, wide variations from these values have been recorded and proved satisfactory.l

Figures 4, 5 and 6 show the invention embodied lin a sleeve' modied formo! coupling wherein thetube is sealed by deforming an edge of the sleeve against the tube. This in th'e trade'is called a compression type coupling.- In this sleeve 46, as in the sleeve I9 previously described, the b ody portion 41, the outerdouble tapered portion 48, the slots 49, and the lingers 5I preferabl'y are the same. However, iiward from body portion 46 the sleeve is-.exte'rnally tapered to a thin edge 52. .The nut 453 cooperates with the sleeve 46 by contacting the "ftapered shoulder 54 and thus forcing the sleeve 46 axially, driving its thin inner edge-52 into; the end of the base part 41 which is provided with a special curved seat Y 58 into which 'the thin edge 52 of the` sleeve 46 is driven when the nin' is tightened. In this manner a wedging action 'is developed which col- 92 so forcibly against the Afrom the coupling. However, as this deformation to clampthe tubing into the couplingoccurs, the tightening of the nut against the tapered shoulder 54 also presses the lingers 5I into close circumferential engagement with tube 51, thereby holding the tube rigid against any movement between point 62 andthe inner end of the tube within the. coupling. From point 62 outward only lateral flexure may occur as allowed by the flexibility of the enclosing lingers 5I, with the result that no stresses whatsoever due toyibration can concentrate at or near point 6I in the enclosed tube..

Figures 7, 8, and 9 show a third type offsleeve I 'and its manner of incorporation into acoupling wherein the tube `is sealed by soldering a ring to its inner end and then clamping this ring securely to the basepart of th'e coupling, thereby forming a un'on type connection. As in the previous ligures, the characteristics of the body portion, the l outer tapered portlon,-the slots, and theresilient soldered thereto. In Figure rI th'e'complete ass embly Aof the coupling appears with a tube attached.. Th'e base -part 61 cooperates with the nut 68 and the sleeve 65 to clamp the. solder ring 63 'against a special seat'1I upon the basepart 61 thereby sealing the -tube 12 to the-base part.

Tightening th'e nut 68 to the base part 61 not only seals the joint but also closes the lingers of the compressible sleeve 65 around the enclosed tube T2 and prevents any stress due to vibration from being concentrated at any point on the tube inward from the base 'I3 of the contact of the ngers around the tube. It should be noted that the use of a solderable ring is not obligatory.- The tube might be soldered into the base of the sleeve provided the heat used was not great enough adversely to aect the resiliency or other physical characteristics of the sleeve material.

There are any number of methods of fastening lthe tube into the coupling and the three methods shown here are only three arbitrarily chosen out of those commonly used in industry. It has been elastic limits, induces what is known as strain If this hardening or stressed conf hardening. dition can be reduced to a negligible factor by annealing, then the situation can be relieved; but some substances are not amenable to such treatment. In other cases, the process of annealing is overlooked or not bothered with, thereby leaving the tube in a pre-stressed condition. Thus there is already established in the tube a local point of weakness between the normal tube and the prestressed end as at point 39 in Figures 1 and 10. All types of iiaring operations produce this condition. Standard ty'pe flared tube couplings make no provisionvfor adequately strengthening this inherent weak point on the tube; similarly with respect to the compression type coupling in Figure 4 (a compression type coupling). Here the tub'e is swaged inwardly by the deformable ring to form a seal against the base, necessarily a cold-working process which induces internal stresses in the tube which is most apt to be deformed beyond its elastic limit. In this case, in contra/distinction to the iiared type, no known method of annealing the stressed portion maybe used without seriously damaging the deformable ring and hence the seal. Decreasing the diameter of the tube in the deformed portion furth'er induces a concentration of stress by increasing the density of the lines of stress Y through the deformed part. Thus The manner in which the flexible, resilientA -iingers operate to prevent stress-concentration can best be understood by reference to Figure 10, which shows the coupling, sleeve and tube of Figure 1, but with this tube exed so as to bring the resilient fingers 24 into operation.

The fingers 24 are flexed out to the tips 82 of said fingers. Th'e tube 34 starts to flex frompoint 83 which is substantially opposite the base of the flexible portion of the sleeve just outside the last point of support of the sleeve by the nut 32. It should be noted that the flexible iingers are not integral with the tube nor soldered n or in any other way 'fastened to it but are solely held in tight circumferential engagement therewith -by resilient pressure. As a result flexure of th'e tube not only causes the sleeve to flex but also allows th'e sleeve tips to slip against the tube in true spring leaf fashion. Thus the exible Vfingers make slidable engagement with the enclosed tube. This slidable engagement makes for much more flexible support of the tube than if the sleeve were rigidly attached thereto. This slidable, spring leaf action offers gradual support to the enclosed tube decreasing `uniformly from the point 83 outwardly to the tips 82 of the sleeve. This exible support varies the stiffness of th'e conductor from the maximum value at p oint 83 to the minimum value just outside point 84 adjacent the finger tips 82. At point 84 the support of the leaves must have dropped to a negligible value as compared to the inherent stiiness of the enclosed tube. These'resilient lingers or spring leaves also control the radius of flexure of the enclosed tube and by carefully regulating the strength of these leaves per unit cross section from the point 83 to the tips 82, this radius of flexure can be kept great enough to prevent any concentration of stress in the tube due to flexure and/or vibration.

From the above described constructions it will be appreciated that the improved coupling is primarily designed to be used on tubings that are subjected to a great deal of vibration and that they offer adequate protection against progressive failure of the tube in any specific locality-due to suddenchange in the stiffness along the fluid conductor as a whole. The invention` lends itself to use under a wide variety of different types of there is set up a plane of weakness circumferentially of point 6| in Figure 4 where failure is possible. Most commercial types of compression couplings make no positive protection against concentration of stress at this point or to reinforce the weakness created by the circumferential deformation ofthe tube.

This invention embodying means for establishing a tight circumferential grip upon the tube outside the point of inherent weakness obviates consideration of this point of weakness as a source of failure in th'e couplings describedherein. The vibrational stresses are distributed by the flexible sleeve outside the point of weakness of the tube and thus'never are allowed to concentrate where ythey `would quickly do harm. In test runs no diierence in life of any of the three types was noted when the vibration resistant sleeve was used to protect this point, whereas constructions which may be preferred or required by standards of practice. I claim: 1. A coupling for a flexible metal tube which is subjected to vibration, comprising: a tubularV body member to which the end of the tubing is attached, a split sleeve having a resilient, ex-

ternally tapered portion extending from saidv body member and gripping said tube, and means for contracting the sleeve about the tubing and for rigidly securing it to the body member; said resilient portion of said sleeve extending along said tube externally of said contracting means and being of a length substantially one and one so that the thin edge of the sleeve bends freely with the tubing as the tubing vibrates and the vibrational movements of the tube are gradually vciuntlytltlinto lessened through the increasing support offered by the sleeve from its outer to its inner end.

2. A coupling for a flexible metal tube which is subjected to vibration, comprising: a tubular member to which the end of the tubing is to be attached, a sleeve slit so as to be contractable and having a resilient, externally tapered portion extending from said body member and gripping said tube, and means for contracting the sleeve about thevtubing and for rigidly securing it'to the body member, the tapered length tof the sleeve extending along said tube externally of said contracting means and being of a' length substantially one and one half or more times-the external diameter of the tubing and tapering from a thickness approximately equal to the wall' thickness of the tube to a thin outer edge of a thickness materially less than -the Wall thickness of the tube so that the thin edge of the sleeve bends freely withthe tubing as the tubing vibrates and the vibrational movements of the tubing are gradually lessened through the increasing support o'lered bythe sleeve from its outer end to its inner end.

3. A coupling for a ne b1evmeta1 tube whichis subjected to vibration, comprising: a tubular body member to .which the end of the tubing is attached, a supporting sleeve havinnr a split,

resilient, externally tapered portion extending from said body member and gripping said tube, means for contracting the split portion of the sleeve about the tubing' and rigidly securing said sleeve to the body member, and means sealing said tube to said body member inward of the contractable portion of said sleeve; said resilient portion of said sleeve extending along said tube externally of said contracting means and having a thin outer edge of a thickness materially less than the tubing thickness so that the thin edge of the sleeve bendsfreely with the tubing as the tubing vibrates and the vibrational movements of the tube;.are graduallylessened through the 5. A coupling for a exible` metal tube which is subject to vibration, comprising a tubular body member, means joining said tube to said body member, and a sleeve comprising a body portion interposed between said body member and said joining means, a shoulder on said body portion engaged by said joining means and co-operating therewith to press said tube into sealing engagement with said body member, and a plurality of resilient ngers contracted around said tube by said joining means and extending away from said joining means along said tube, said iingers being of gradually diminishing thickness as the distance from said joining means increases so that they offer gradually increasing resilient support to said tube from the outer ends of said iingers inwards. a

6. Stress-distributing means for a member subject to vibration and comprising two contiguous portions of different relative stiiness,

.said stress-distributing `means comprising a plurality of resilient ngers and means for clamping increasing support offered by the sleeve from its outer end inwardly to the base of the contractable portion. v

4. A coupling'for a ilexible metal tube which is subject to vibration, comprising a tubular body member, means joining the tube to said. body member, and a sleeve between the body member and the joining means, said sleeve comprising a. body portion,-a shoulder upon said body portion engaged by said joining means and cooperating therewith to press said tube into sealing engagement with said body member, and a plurality of resilient lingers contracted around said tube by said joining means and extending away from said joining means along said tube, said resilient fingers having' flexible outer ends sunlbend with the tubing as it vibrates.

said ngers in position extending along the less stiff portion of said member with the inner ends of said lingers rigid with the stiffer portion' of said member, said lingers pressing against said less stiff portion and being of gradually diminishing 'cross-sectional area from said inner ends outward whereby they oier gradually diminishing support for said less Astiii portion of said memberfromtheir inner ends outward.

'7. Stress-distributing means for a member subject to vibration and comprising two conf tiguous portionsr of different relative stiness, said stress-distributing means comprising a plurality of resilient ngers and means for clamping said fingers in position extending along the less stiff portion of said member with the inner ends of said fingers rigid with the stiffer portion of said member, said fingers being of gradually diminishing cross-sectional area froin said inner ends outward whereby they offer gradually diminishing support for said less stiff portion of i said tube from their inner ends outward.

ROBERT E. SNYDER. 

